The Lengthy, Disturbing History Of NYPD Cop Who Used Fatal Chokehold On Eric Garner

Documents exclusively obtained by public policy site ThinkProgress reveal a long history of complaints and disciplinary actions filed against Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner using an illegal chokehold on July 17, 2014.

ThinkProgress received the documents by an anonymous source who works at the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent agency sourced out to investigate complaints filed against NYPD officers. The records are part of an ongoing lawsuit and the city refuses to release them, according to the outlet.

According to the site, records reveal Pantaleo occurred seven disciplinary complaints and 14 individual allegations against him prior to the incident involving Garner.

The site reached out to four lawyers–two who asked to remain anonymous, to help substantiate the documents. ThinkProgress was able to validate four complaints with the CCRB, who recommended with disciplinary action against Pantaleo.

The CCRB ruled allegations regarding an “abusive” stop in frisk in 2011 were credible and urged the NYPD to speak with Pantaleo, but that was the extent of the disciplinary judgement.

A second abusive stop and frisk in 2012 was also substantiated. The agency recommended the loss of eight days of vacation time, but the NYPD only ruled two necessary.

ThinkProgress found Pantaleo failing to seek medical attention for someone in 2009, struck an individual in 2011 with an “inanimate object,” made two “abusive” vehicular stops in 2012, and used “physical force” during an incident in 2013.

Pantaleo is still employed by the NYPD and even received a $20,000 pay increase a few years after the Garner incident.

In December 2014, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict the officer. The NYPD is currently embroiled in a civil rights investigation. In July 2015, the city settled with the Garner family for $5.9 million.